Engagement or Marriage: The Case for an Expanded Military Medical Role in America
Abstract
This paper examines the role of health in achieving the national objectives of the United States, and the concept of medically engaging Africa to combat transnational disease, avert humanitarian disasters and build medical self-sufficiency. The case for engagement in Africa is also presented in the context of shared national interests - security, prosperity and democracy, and the evolution of these institutions as health enablers. An analysis of current U.S. health policy reveals a strategic imbalance of means for supporting program ends and ways. The contentious issue of Foreign Aid, central to health related programs, is discussed, as is the need for greater resources and innovation to ensure the health of an increasingly interdependent global society. A discussion of the U.S. Security Strategy of engagement, and the military strategies of shaping, responding and preparing, establish the context for employing military medicine as a supplementary means to offset the shortfall identified in the analysis. The U.S. European Command's medical engagement program, called MEDFLAG, provides a proven model for this concept. This work offers program revisions for the MEDFLAG to improve efficiency and effectiveness, including the selection of host countries, targeting of medical needs in Africa and the transition of the exercise from individual care to health care systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 27, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA390489
Entities
People
- Terry Carroll
Organizations
- United States Army War College